Pages

Friday, August 14, 2009

Thai Lemon Grass Pork

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of the hundred or so dishes in my permanent recipe rotation. I've made it for years because it's fast, easy and a bit elegant. We had this at least once a month when I was working and it's still one of my go-to recipes when my world starts to wobble and threatens to leave orbit. The ingredients are no longer hard to find and you should be able to pick them up in a any well-stocked grocery store. In the unlikely event that you're in an outpost on the Sahara desert, you may feel the need to find a substitute for lemon grass. Many suggest the zest of one lemon mixed with several sprigs of cilantro will do the trick. Please don't be fooled. Lemon zest mixed with cilantro tastes like what it is and bares no resemblance to the real thing. While it won't hurt most recipes, it won't help them either. You can try frozen or reconstituted dried lemon grass, but they, too, are lacking in flavor. The closest I've come to an adequate substitute follows the recipe below, but because it requires forethought I don't use it often. If I don't have fresh lemon grass I usually bypass it and move on to the next ingredient. One drawback to this dish is the color of quickly cooked pork. It can, however, be overcome. Your meat will have better color if you sprinkle it with a quick-blending flour before browning. Served with quick cooking rice noodles, this makes a wonderful meal for the end of a hectic day.Thai Lemon Grass Pork...from the kitchen of One Perfect BiteIngredients:1-1/2 pounds (2 small) pork tenderloin, trimmed2 lemon grass stalks, finely chopped4 scallions (white and tender green), thinly sliced1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper corns, coarsely crackedQuick-blending flour (optional)2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil3 cloves garlic, chopped1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes1 teaspoon light brown sugar2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce2 tablespoons fresh lime juiceBlack pepper to taste1/4 cup toasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely choppedCilantro for garnish

LOL we are, apparently, in that outpost in the Sahara. We do not have lemon grass or Thai fish sauce. (I can remember when soy sauce first hit the shelves here!) Your recipe does look s very very good and I would love to try it!

I just had to laugh when I read "In the unlikely event that you're in an outpost on the Sahara desert" ... just replace 'Sahara desert' with 'foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro' as we can't get lemon grass for love or money here but I do have dried (bought on my travels to 1st world countries !) but it just tastes like .... dry grass that one finds on the side of the road (not that I've ever tasted it !) ... so thanks for the substitute recipe, I'll give it a try sometime :) anything's better than dry grass ! (P.S. love the pics of your very handsome grandsons in the right sidebar !)

I love lemongrass, in fact a few years ago I decided to grow some. I bought a little plant and it just thrived. I dried some, simmered some in my water for sweet tea and also for rice. I was very happy and then………it just took on a mind of it's own and grew and spread out of the pot. I had to cut it back every week with hand shears and those blades are as sharp as razor blades. Needless to say, it has been banished from the yard and I am perfectly content to pay supermarket prices when I need it. lol. Lovely recipe, as usual

Hi MaryIve never even heard of lemon grass,I'll have to check our grocery store...if not I have fresh mint in my herb garden and always have ginger on hand,I can use the substitute.Thanks from a busy lady,its perfect for me.Gracie

I couldn't agree with you more when it comes to lemon grass. When I lived in Columbus there was a little Thai place I used to go to when I was sick - they has a soup made with lemon grass and I called it Healing Soup. I don't know what was in it but I always felt better afterward.

Pork tenderloin recipes are so satisfying and easy, aren't they? They work beautifully in the oven or the grill, and a simple spice rub or marinade is all the prep work they need. Now I have a new recipe to go into my rotation, as well. Thanks!

Thanks for sharing another beautiful and delicious (I just know) recipe. We're sharing peanut butter ideas and Elvis stories at diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com. I hope you will come join us. Or, join us for Crock Pot Wednesdays. Mister Linky will be ready for that on Tuesday.

Your love of cooking is a gift to me! I don't have that gift...God gave me sewing instead, but since my husband can't eat the curtains, having someone else's tried and true recipe is my way to my man's heart! Thank you, this looks wonderful! I don't know if I've seen lemon grass, but I'll get it somehow! Mary

Site Meter

Privacy Policy

This blog does not share personal information with third-parties nor does it store information about your visit for use other than to analyze content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at anytime by modifying your Internet browser's settings. Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a a users prior visits to this website. Google's use of the DoubleClick cookie enables it and its partners to serve ads. This blog is not responsible for the republishing of the content found here on other Web sites or media without the owners permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice